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Man accused of sexually assaulting minors during Wantage home invasion to stay jailed

Photo by Daniel Freel/New Jersey Herald - Craig Lassiter, of Middletown, NY., appears in state Superior Court along side his defense attorney Steven Insley Tuesday, October 10, 2017, in Newton. Lassiter is accused of breaking into a Wantage residence and threatening two minors with a gun before sexually assaulting them.

Photo by Daniel Freel/New Jersey Herald - Craig Lassiter, of Middletown, NY., appears in state Superior Court along side his defense attorney Steven Insley Tuesday, October 10, 2017, in Newton. Lassiter is accused of breaking into a Wantage residence and threatening two minors with a gun before sexually assaulting them.

The New York man accused of brandishing a gun and sexually assaulting two minors during a home invasion in Wantage will stay in jail until trial.

Craig Lassiter, 33, of Middletown, N.Y., appeared in state Superior Court in front of Judge N. Peter Conforti this morning.

Lassiter is facing 20 charges, including two first-degree aggravated sexual assault charges on a minor less than 13-years-old, two counts of first-degree sexual assault during a commission of a robbery and burglary and first-degree robbery while threatening to use a deadly weapon.

In court today, Conforti stated that with the affidavits of probable cause in his possession and the argument by the state, represented by Assistant Prosecutor Laura Nazzaro, he had "no question" in his mind to keep Lassiter detained.

"There is strong evidence that the state possesses in terms of the charges filed against Mr. Lassiter, I am mindful of that," Conforti said. "I am clearly convinced that this defendant presents a danger to others as well as presents a risk in terms of appearing in court.

Conforti said Lassiter is facing up to life in prison if convicted on the charges.

He is also facing a more than two-year prison term based on prior criminal charges and will be subjected to the No Early Release Act, or NERA, where he will be required, should he be convicted, to serve 85 percent of his total prison sentence before he will be eligible for parole.

Conforti also granted a sex offender restraining order filed by the state.

The case will now go to the Sussex County Grand Jury for possible indictment.

Prior to Conforti's decision to keep Lassiter detained, Stephen Insley, public defender representing Lassiter, told the judge that although there are affidavits from the incident, all the court has is a "well-rounded suspicion" in regard to the facts of the case.

Insley asked the judge to consider an electronic monitoring system to be placed on his client in lieu of detainment, adding that Lassiter works to provide for his wife of four years and their three children.

Although Insley stated that Lassiter's last prior conviction was 10 years ago, Nazzaro said that he is a "persistent" offender with an arrest as recent as July of this year and is facing prison time for a conviction last year.

According to Nazzaro, Lassiter was arrested in July for lewdness and faces three months in prison on that pending charge.

In December 2016, he was convicted of resisting arrest, criminal trespass and lewdness where he faces two years and three months in prison on those charges.

Nazzaro said that as far as she knows, Lassiter has no connection to New Jersey and has only committed crimes in New York and Pennsylvania.

In addition to his first-degree charges filed by state police and the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office Oct. 4, Lassiter is charged with two counts of second-degree sexual assault on a minor less than 13-years-old; two counts of second-degree sexual penetration while using physical force; second-degree robbery; two counts of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child; two counts of third-degree criminal restraint; two counts of third-degree terroristic threats; third-degree theft; two counts of fourth-degree sexual contact; and fourth-degree criminal trespass.

According to state police, at 2:01 a.m., Sept. 18, troopers from the New Jersey State Police, Sussex station, responded to a Wantage residence after the homeowner called 911 to report a burglary.

The caller advised dispatchers that he believed the burglar may still be in the residence.

When troopers arrived, they attempted to stop a Chevrolet Silverado with New York license plates driving away from the area of the burglary, police said.

When the trooper activated his overhead lights, the driver -- later identified as Lassiter -- allegedly swerved around the trooper's car, ran over a mailbox and sped away, according to police.

Troopers were able to quickly locate the vehicle, which was abandoned in a field, but Lassiter was not located after an extensive search.

The truck, officers discovered, had been reported stolen out of New York.

According to police, when detectives and troopers continued their investigation, it was determined that Lassiter entered the residence through a bedroom shared by two juveniles. Once inside, he threatened the victims with physical violence, told them he had a gun, and sexually assaulted them, according to police.

The juveniles eventually told family members, who searched the house and discovered their front door was open.

Through various investigative means, detectives were able to identify Lassiter as the suspect and he was located and arrested on Sept. 22, in Bayshore, Long Island, N.Y.

Lori Comstock can also be reached on Twitter: @LoriComstockNJH, on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/LoriComstockNJH or by phone: 973-383-1194.